When Things Aren't Always What They Seem
by CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88
Summary: Daine and Numair, the perfect couple, right? Perhaps this is true, but all good couples fight at one time or another. What if this time maybe its gone too far. Will Daine and Numair's relationship survive? I warn you now, take notice of the title! RR!
1. Prologue

A/N: Ok, now don't be alarmed, but this fic is going to be VERY different from my other fics....It was just an idea I got while watching the music video for my favorite song, which I won't tell you because for anyone who has seen the video, the ending to this fic will be spoiled.......Just to let you guys know, this fic will mostly be from Numair's POV so as to leave you guys wondering on A LOT of things...hehe...aren't I nice?  
  
One last thing is this. No matter how shaky this fic gets, I mean now matter how much I put D/N through, please keep reading and please don't give up on me....This is a short fic, so you won't have to put up with it for long....  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Tamora Pierce's characters, and I don't claim to....Also, I don't own part of the plot, but I won't tell you who does just yet cuz if I did, it would give away the ending....just don't sue me....all you would get is some lent from my pockets and perhaps a rubber band...no wait, scratch the rubber band cuz I lost it yesterday!  
  
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PROLOGUE  
  
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Numair Salmalin, the black robed mage of Tortall rode at an intense pace on his patient gelding, Spots. He raced through the woods, not paying careful attention to his surroundings. He was in a hurry and he was fair vexed. There was no stopping him when he was in one of his moods. There had been a serious problem with a large group of bandits not far from the fief of Dunlath. Being that he was Tortall's best mage, he had been sent along with several groups of Riders to put a stop to it. At the time, he had been certain it would be a minor battle and he would be home soon. This hadn't proved to be the case however, for he and his comrades had been pursuing the bandits through the woods of Long Lake for the past week without rest.  
  
At the moment, Numair was extremely exhausted and didn't feel that he could go on like this for much longer. He knew sooner or later the bandits would run out of strength and the chase would end, but it wouldn't be soon enough for Numair. No, Numair was in a hurry to return to Corus, for he was engaged to be married in exactly one week and he didn't wish to miss his own wedding on account of bandits. He dearly missed his wife to be, Veralidaine Sarrasri, and wanted very much to get back to her. She hadn't wanted him to go on missions for the crown this close to their wedding date, but there had been no avoiding it. When he was given orders from the king, he had to follow them, no matter how soon his wedding was.  
  
Daine had been fair vexed with him upon his leaving, he remembered. She had been so upset, that she hadn't even bothered going outside of the room they shared together to see him off or even to say good bye. He had felt horrible in leaving even after all of this, but what choice did he have? It was considered high treason to refuse a direct order from the king, no matter how much he wanted to.  
  
"Gods, Daine, I hope you can forgive me," He muttered under his breath so quietly that none aside from himself could hear. From behind him, he could hear Sir Raoul of Goldenlake calling out orders to the Riders. Since Numair was the only mage that had accompanied the Own, he rode up in the very front. The mage was always expected to ride in front when pursuing the enemy, for they had all sorts of spells that could protect themselves and their company in an instant if their was a surprise attack. This made it necessary for a mage to be up front at all times so that they could be the first to notice the signs of sabotage.  
  
Just as the Riders were about to break through the trees and into the next clearing, Numair saw the bushed moving nearby, along with the noise of men talking that weren't of the Riders and knew that the bandits were upon them. "Fall back!" he yelled as a signal, one that he and Raoul had decided on before leaving to go looking for the bandits that morning. Raoul heard his signal loud and clear and ordered the Riders back. Thinking quickly, Numair began chanting in Old Thak and a thin, globe-like barrier formed around the group of Riders and himself. Though this meant that they could not be shot by enemy arrows, it also meant that they could not fire at the enemy with their own arrows.  
  
Waiting for Raoul's voice to call to him to remove the barrier, Numair held it strong. Just as he was thinking, the bandits he had anticipated dashed out into the clearing, their eyes glowing with a malicious blood thirst. Men who became bandits were not normal men at all. They were monsters who lived for violence and killing, who thirsted for blood. Daine, his fiancee's own mother and grandfather had been brutally killed by such men. It was a story Numair would never forget hearing, for he knew how badly it had scarred his love. It had changed her life drastically. These men could not ever be allowed to live in freedom, for the killed for pleasure. That meant destruction to the kingdom and its people.  
  
"Riders, draw your arms!" Numair heard Raoul's voice split the air, ordering the Riders to prepare themselves. Immediately following the old knight's voice was the sound of arrows being loaded into cross bows, and the strings clicking into place as the Riders aimed. Fearing he might lose concentration on his spell, Numair did not turn around, but instead trusted that Raoul would tell him when everything was ready and for him to let his barrier drop. It was no easy task to hold up a barrier this large for very long. It was especially hard in this case, for as he fought to hold it up, bandits fired at it from every direction, each shot hitting it with great accuracy.  
  
Accuracy was another trait of bandits, though it was an unfortunate one. Such men got so much practice from their line of work that they rarely missed when they shot at any target they chose. This meant that going against them in a battle was highly dangerous. At times, especially when there were large numbers of them, they could be worse than a band of immortals.  
  
Finally, after many arrows had crashed with deadly accuracy into the barrier, Numair heard Raoul's voice coming from the back of the line of Riders. "Drop the barrier, Numair!" the man let his voice roar over all the commotion.   
  
As soon as it dropped, arrows went whizzing through the air in every direction. Numair quickly stole a glance around behind him, checking to see if any had been hit. It seemed everyone had been quick enough to dodge, for none had been struck down. After seeing this, Numair quickly turned forward and prepared himself for an attack from a bandit. It came fast, one of them riding towards him at full speed on a large mount. He carried not a cross bow, or any bow at all, but a battle hatchet. Letting out a battle cry, the man swung hard at Numair, only to make contact with a barrier Numair had quickly constructed to shield himself. The bandit held a look of pure horror as Numair shot a blast of his Gift at the man. Numair hated using raw Gift and not a direct spell, but in times like this, all that mattered was striking down your opponent. It mattered not how it was done, just so long as it was done.  
  
Numair's blast of Gift hit the man head on, knocking the bandit off of the horse. Numair looked down and behind him as the bandit was trampled to death by the horses of the Riders the rode swiftly behind him. Numair quickly turned forward to face a new oncoming attack. One came right away, this time more fierce. The man had a cross bow aimed directly at Numair's head. It seemed that Numair was the choice target of many of the bandits, for they thought it smart to eliminate the mage. None of them seemed to comprehend though, just how hard such a task would end up being.  
  
When the bandit fired his shot, Numair was ready with a Gifted shield. The arrow hit the shield with deadly accuracy, leaving Numair to wonder whether or not he would have lived had the arrow hit him and not the shield. As soon as the arrow had ricashaded and flew into another direction, Numair advanced towards the man, who was trying to steadily pull his mount back into the crowd of his accomplices. Numair would let him do no such thing. He felt all the anger that had boiled up in hi for the past week begin to flow out uncontrollably. He rode past the front line of Riders and after the man. Before long, Numair found himself sweeping through the lines of bandits until he was past them all together.   
  
As he rode, mind flooded with thoughts of killing this particular bandit, Numair thought he could faintly hear Raoul calling to him to fall back. He would do no such thing. Falling back would let this bandit escape, and that was not an option to him. His anger was controlling him now. There was no stopping it. Right now, he felt rage running through him, though not necessarily rage towards this bandit.   
  
He saw himself riding off to go on this mission to stop the bandits. He was looking back at the castle, up at the window of his room he shared with Daine. He saw her inside, laying on their bed reading a book. It hurt him deeply that she was too angry with him to even come out to see him off. She had refused to even say good bye. When he had tried to kiss her before leaving, she had pushed him away.  
  
This was not all that Numair saw as he chased the bandit into the woods and away from the thick of the battle. He saw himself in Jon's study standing before the king himself. Jon had just ordered him to go on this mission to hunt down the bandits. Numair had already known from previous talks with Daine that she wouldn't be happy with him if he went. He saw himself telling Jon this, but Jon still sending him. This too hurt him deeply.  
  
Many other scenes flashed through his mind, making him ride all that much harder to reach the bandit. He knew he was just trying to vent his anger, and that it was rather foolish, but at the moment he didn't care. As the memory of Daine not even saying good bye to him flashed through his mind once more, he felt a hot tear roll down his face. He urged Spots to go faster until he was a mere foot behind the bandit.  
  
The bandit looked back to face Numair, but instead of the fear Numair was sure he'd find in the man's face, he saw a look of grim satisfaction. The bandit grinned evilly at Numair, causing Numair to look back, more puzzled than ever. It was then that he realized something was terribly wrong. He turned his head back to follow the bandit's gaze and saw that he hadn't been the only one to follow. About ten of the other bandits were coming upon him.  
  
Suddenly, an arrow went whizzing by his head. He shouted in anger and frustration, wondering how her was going to manage pulling out of this one. This had obviously been why Raoul had called after him to turn back. Raoul had seen the bandits follow. If only Numair hadn't been so rash and foolish! He let his anger and injured heart take the best of him. He hadn't thought rationally. Now, he would be lucky if he made it out alive.  
  
He roughly pulled on Spot's reigns, kicking him to turn right and thus into another direction. To his dismay, the bandits were one step ahead of him and turned precisely when he did. The odds were not for him just now. for he was outnumbered eleven to one. To add to that, Numair was up against men who were much better horsemen than he. Perhaps if he had paid more attention to Daine's lessons those years ago, he could out maneuver them now, but no such luck. He surely had gotten himself into a fix, perhaps one he wouldn't ever walk out of alive.  
  
His world began to spin as he felt one of the bandit's arrows bury itself in his side. He heard himself cry out in pain, but couldn't recall doing so. Pain seared through every inch of his lanky form, not a single spot spared. An unwelcoming fire of fear, anger and paine raced through his veins, adrenaline pumping. His vision rapidly became blurry, as did his thoughts. Mind clouded, he let out a grunt and another cry of pain before falling off of Spots and to the ground with a sickening thud. What happened next was all a blur to him. Within seconds of hitting the ground, he felt his ribs and right arm crack. He had barely a second to breath before his head jerked to the side and he saw the hooves of his enemy's horses charging towards him. This was it. There was no way he could live through this. He closed his eyes quickly, not wanting to see his fate, thinking that perhaps he could will it away.  
  
Memories flashed through his mind like wild fire. He was on another mission for the king. He was standing in a clearing which he had chosen to make camp in. Rain was pouring down, making it impossible to build a fire. It was a beautiful night, a full moon shining and the sky covered with a shimmering blanket of stars. The night's breeze blew uncomfortably against his exposed skin and making his shirt and breeches blow with it. He turned his head to look back at where he had laid out his bed roll. Daine, his traveling companion and lover was walking towards him, smiling coyly. Soon a smile lit up his face as she reached out to him. He took her in his arms, warmly planting a kiss on her forehead.  
  
His mind flashed forward in that same memory. This time, he and Daine were in the middle of a passionate kiss. They were oblivious to their surroundings. All either of them could see, was the other, and that was all that mattered. He groaned in pleasure, pulling her tighter to his chest. Thinking he would die of regret when their lips parted, he went on without air no matter how much his body protested.   
  
Their kiss grew more passionate as time passed. They came up for air as few times as possible, both too caught up in the other to care. Suddenly, without breaking the kiss, Numair reached down and lifted her into his arms. He laughed into her mouth as he felt her lips twist into a smile. He carried her back to their bed rolls, dumping her down onto his. He barely gave her time to look up at him before he too was down on the ground with her. Within seconds he had pulled her to his chest, holding her tight. He began raining tiny kisses down her neck, causing her to sigh in pleasure. He could feel her tremble within the circle of his arms, the passion becoming intense. He too trembled, but that didn't worry him in the slightest bit.He felt a new sense of fire and passion when he felt her reach down and begin undoing his belt. He repaid the favor by unbuttoning her shirt, passion mounting to ubearable levels.  
  
Numair's memory stopped there, his mind returning to reality. All he could think of was what he was about to leave behind. Daine, his Daine, would be left alone. She hadn't wanted him to go, and now that he had, he would die and never see her again. He felt horrible for leaving her like this, never to return. She'd lost so many before, why did the gods want to add him to her list? By the gods how he wanted to hold her one last time, kiss her just once more and tell her good bye. The last they had heard of each other had been no proper good bye, for it had been in anger. Gods how he regretted leaving her when they were fighting!   
  
The worst of this all though, was that he would never marry her. He had worked hard in persuading her for three long years before she had finally said yes. Now, here he was not carrying out his promise. He had promised her marriage, something he could never give her now. He closed his eyes tight, scared to death about what was about to meet him. When it hit him, he hardly felt any pain as the horses of the bandits trampled over him. He blacked out as soon as the first hoof came down upon him.  
  
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As soon as he blacked out, his mind took him to Corus, to the palace. It traveled through the palace halls until he reached the different rooms in the mages wing. He stopped outside a room door with a brass name plate that clearly said 'Numair Salmalin and Veralidaine Sarrasri.' He had already known that was what it said. He had stood outside this door many times.  
  
His mind took him inside that room. He recognized very well the room he shared with Daine. It was very well kept up. It looked as though during his absence, Daine had decided to do some cleaning. It made him long to actually be home, rather than just dream about it.  
  
After briefly looking around, his mind took him into the next room, his and Daine's bed chamber. Inside was the bed he shared with Daine. In fact, she lay on it just now, resting her head on her pillow. On her chest sat a sparrow, which seemed to be conversing with Daine through mind speech. Though Numair never had been able to understand what went on during these silent exchanges between Daine and the animals, he wished now more than ever that he could. He wanted to know how his love had been fairing with him gone for a week. Hopefully, he would be home to her soon.  
  
"I feel so guilty," Numair felt his heart race as Daine suddenly began talking out loud to her animal friend. "I didn't even say good bye to him before he left. Now, he's been gone for a week. It was fair mean of me not to even kiss him good bye. I was wrong."  
  
-No, you were right...I was wrong,- Numair thought it his mind, -Don't worry, I'll be home soon.-  
  
In his mind, he heard a frantic knock at the door. Numair watched as she rose from the bed, sending the sparrow on its way. She exited the bed chamber, Numair's mind vision not far behind her. She went to answer the door, to find a young page standing on the other side. His face was filled with grief, making Numair wonder why. What news had his love received in his absence?  
  
Numair watched as the page handed Daine the scroll he clutched in his hand. Puzzled by the boy's expression, Daine took it in her hand and dismissed the page with a thank you. She then stepped back inside the room, closing the door behind her. Without bothering to sit down, Daine broke the seal on the scroll and scanned its contents with her eyes. Numair watched in confusion as her eyes grew wide in shock by whatever it was she read. She began clutching the letter tighter in her hands, wrinkling it in her grasp. Without warning, she let out a horrible, grief stricken gasp. Tears began rolling down her face.  
  
"No! " she sobbed, her voice carrying. "Oh, Gods no!" Her knees buckled beneath her, pain shining clearly in her blue gray eyes. She let the letter fall out of her hands and to the ground beside her. There, she lay on the floor sobbing. Numair longed to go to her, but this was merely a dream, so he could not. Instead, he watched her, thinking of all the ways he could comfort her upon his return. He may not know what the cause of this grief was, he would soon know. Though he didn't want the vision to stop, it became blurry and her sobs faint. Soon, he was back in the darkness he had entered before.  
  
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A/N: Don't panic, for I know what I'm doing!!! I think.......ah what the heck, just read it and have faith in my ability to throw you guys for a loop...It is, after all, my only talent...and I'm sure any of you who've read my other fics know that very well....*cough* Anyway, just read it and I promise not to do anything *too* bad....You know me, there is a line for how far one can torture D/N and I have NEVER crossed it....right? ^_^ 


	2. Lonely Arrivals

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Just to answer a few questions, this is going to be a pretty short fic, no more than 4 or 5 chapters.....Like I said before, its my attempt of throwing you for a loop, so try your very best not to yell at me, though I know that's sometimes hard....actually its hard all the time, buy hey, that's not the point....The point is...actually there isn't a point, so just don't yell and curse and flame me! ^_^  
  
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Numair awoke to find himself lying under a large, shady oak tree in the woods. He had the worst head ache he'd ever had in his entire life, and he had no idea why. His body ached all over, almost as if he'd been trampled by a string of horses. He groaned as he pulled himself up to lean against the tree's trunk. It wasn't until this very moment that memory flooded back to him. The bandits, Raoul, the Riders, it all came back in a flash. Numair shook his head from the sudden impact of flash backs.  
  
Most clearly of all, Numair remembered a rather strange scene. It was of himself riding Spots at a fast pace through the woods, chasing an escaping bandit. He had left Raoul and the Own behind long ago. It was now him and the bandit, riding solo through the woods, or so he thought. It wasn't long before he noticed the group of ten or so bandits riding up behind him and firing arrows at him from behind. Their first shots missed the target, but the second time Numair was not so lucky. One of the bandits near the back of the line hit him with deadly accuracy.   
  
Numair watched as in his memory he cried out in pain, swaying to the left and to the right until he finally lost all balance and fell off of Spots and to the ground. His body hit the ground with a sickening thud, bones breaking as he went. It wasn't more than an eye blink's time before the bandit's horses had trampled him into a gory mess. It was then that Numair snapped back to reality.  
  
He was surprised at his own imagination. That couldn't have been a true memory! It just couldn't, could it? In that memory, he had been shot and trampled until he was a gory, unrecognizable mess! He was clearly unharmed where he now sat, not a scratch on him. Besides, if that had been a true memory, he would be dead. There was no way, not even by a gift from the gods that any man could survive such an ordeal! A single horse weighed well over two thousand pounds, while he only weighed a mere one hundred and sixty-five. Being trampled by over ten horses would surely kill him!  
  
Rising, and laughing at his own ridiculous mind for even thinking there was a possibility that that was not a dream, Numair decided to head for Corus and home. There was no need for him to stay any longer, order from the king or no. From the looks of things nearby, there were no bandits, and for that matter, no sign of Raoul in the own. They had likely left without him while he slept. It was his own fault, and it would likely make Daine even more vexed with him, if that was even possible. He could only imagine her reaction after his company returned from a trip she did not by any means want him to go on, and he wasn't with them! He shuddered at the thought of what would happen when he told her he had fallen asleep and been left behind!   
  
Quickly, he scanned the clearing for his reliable old gelding. Upon finding the horse, he drug himself over to Spots and mounted with absolutely no grace. He never had grace when it came to riding, so this bothered neither Numair, nor Spots.   
  
Once mounted, he rode off through the woods, trying to relocate the path. This took well over and hour, for he could not use his Gift to aid him. He had been drained upon awakening for some reason. It puzzled him, but he didn't have time to think about it just now. If he hurried, he might still be able to catch up with the Own and thus not upset his love.  
  
Kicking Spots into going as fast as he could, Numair raced down the path, stirring up dust as he went. Storm clouds were forming rapidly overhead, making him worry about how this would affect his speed. Rain was not something he wanted when he was traveling alone with no supplies or shelter. A loud crack of thunder boomed over head, followed by a flash of lightning. Numair knew it was only a matter of time before a storm was upon him. He didn't care though, for he was in a hurry.  
  
His journey back to Corus took him two days, much to his dismay. The storm had slowed him down a great deal. It still went on as if it were new, making Numair wondering how long it would last. His trip hadn't been a pleasurable one. He had stopped only twice to camp, but not once to eat, for he had no food. Rain had poured down on him the whole time, making him cold, wet, and annoyed. By the time he reached the palace, he was feeling rather cranky.  
  
Numair rode Spots up to the stable and dismounted. He found the stable boy sleeping on a pile of hay near the stable door. Sighing, Numair coughed politely in an attempt to awaken the boy. He did not stir, or show any signs of a disturbance. This made Numair even more annoyed. If not for the loud boom of thunder that occurred, he probably would have done something drastic that neither he nor the stable boy would like. As soon as the thunder sounded, the boy jumped to his feet with a start, looking frantically around him and sighing in relief when he found it was just thunder. he showed no sign of noticing Numair, who stood right in front of him, Spot's reigns in hand.  
  
"Ahem" Numair cleared his throat politely. "Excuse me?" he asked, tempted to reach out and shake the stable boy by the shoulders, but deciding against it. When the stable boy refused to acknowledge him, Numair sighed angrily and threw his hands into the air. "Be assured, I'm going to have a word with Jon about his choice of employees!" He muttered angrily, taking Spot's reigns and going to put him away himself.  
  
Once he had Spots in his stall, Numair hastily unsaddled the horse, throwing the saddle and blanket on clumsily on its rack and tossing the bridle against the wall, not really caring if it landed on the nail or not. All he cared about was going up to his room that he shared with Daine, and making up with her. He would tell her he was wrong and she was right, for he saw that now.   
  
Trudging through the palace halls, soaking wet with muddy boots, Numair made it to his rooms. He stood outside the door for a moment, admiring the name of his love written on the name plate. -Soon it will read 'Numair and Veralidaine Salmalin'- he thought, cheering himself up a bit.   
  
Without knocking, for it was after all his room too, he turned the brass door knob, letting himself in. He found that everything was just as he had left it. There was a fire burning in the fire place, papers scattered on his desk, the door to his workroom slightly ajar. Yes, everything was just as he'd left it. All except for Daine. Where was she? She was after all, the reason he had rushed home in such a frenzy. Hadn't he the right to see her immediately upon walking in? She must surely still be vexed with him then, if she wasn't waiting expectantly for him.  
  
"Daine?" he called out, almost fearfully, for he was scared of what he might find when he reached her. He always hated fighting with her; it broke his heart. "Dearest, I'm back!" There was no answer to either call. He paused briefly, knowing that she was in here and wondering why she hadn't heard him. Then it hit him. Perhaps she had heard him, but she didn't care.   
  
He walked across the room in a few short strides and stopped at the bed chamber door. It was closed, but he was sure she was in there. He reached out to turn the bass knob, but to his dismay, he found it to be locked. "Oh, for Mithros sake!" he cursed, but immediately corrected himself. Losing his temper wouldn't get him anywhere he wanted to go.  
  
Taking a breath to regain his calmness and swallowing hard, Numair reached out a hand and gently knocked on the door. "Daine, please open the door," he said calmly, but pleadingly. It had no affect what so ever. Sighing, he knocked again. "Daine, we really need to talk this out, so please come out or let me in!" This time, his voice held more urgency as he fought to keep calm.  
  
No noise came from inside the room. Numair slumped down to the floor, and leaned his lanky form against the wall beside the bed chamber door. "Magelet, please don't do this to me. I'm sorry for leaving you when you didn't want me to, but I can't refuse an order from the king!" By now, it seemed to Numair that he was having a one way conversation. He decided to sit and wait for a minute or two. That minute or two turned into an hour, and that hour turned into several hours. Before he knew it, the midnight bell was ringing and he was fighting off sleep. It seemed his love would not be willing to open the door any time soon. He would just have to wait until morning, for she would have to come out some time.   
  
Sighing in frustration, He lifted himself up off of the hard wood floor, stretching as he did. His legs had gotten cramped from having sat in the same position for so long. Determined to have one last attempt before retiring to the couch, Numair approached the bed chamber door one last time. He lifted out a hand and knocked softly on the door and said with a tone to match it, "I know it doesn't mean much to you right now, Magelet, but I'm sorry, and I love you. Sleep well, love," he said, voice soft and filled with care. He knew this fight was his own fault, and he was prepared to take the consequences.  
  
Stepping away from the door, he sighed for what seemed to be the umpteenth time that night and headed across the main living room and over to the couch. He threw his tired body down on it, stretching out his long legs. The couch was rather hard, not at all like a bed, not to mention it wasn't nearly long enough for him. This was going to be an uncomfortable night, but it was still better than sleeping on the muddy ground with rain pouring down on you as he had been for two days straight.  
  
Yawning, Numair did his best to rid his mind of his fight with Daine. He found this to be a rather difficult task, no matter how many wonderful memories with her he could think of. If truth be told, he loved her more than life itself. He hated fighting with her, for it broke his heart into pieces. They had fought before, many times in fact, but it had never been like this. It had always ended up with both not being able to stand fighting anymore. They would kiss and make up and everything would be normal again. It was just like any other couple.  
  
Just as Numair began drifting off to sleep, he was aroused by the sound of crying. It sounded close, like he could reach out and touch the one who cried. Upon sitting up and cupping his ear with his hand to better hear, Numair realized that the crying was coming from the bed chamber he shared with Daine, who was currently barricaded inside. He felt his heart split at the sound of her crying. He longed to go to her, to take her in his arms and tell her without words that he was sorry and that he wanted to make everything all right. He could do none of this though. She had locked the door, and though he could easily spell it open, he knew that would be wrong. If she wanted to talk to him, she would open it herself. He wasn't going to force her.  
  
Soon, her cries turned to sobs. Numair's heart now felt as if it had been crushed into a fine powder. Oh how he wanted to reach her! He kept reminding himself that perhaps things would be better in the morning. They could talk then and work things out. Her sobs haunted him now, and he knew he would have a terrible time trying to sleep whilst he heard them. He prayed to every god and goddess he could name, and he could name quite a few, that she could find it in her heart to forgive him. He couldn't take it if things were over between them. Life without Daine wasn't worth living as far as Numair was concerned. He just wanted things to be back to normal.  
  
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A/N: I know, I know, sad...You're very right in thinking that, I don't disagree with you for a moment. But hey, since when is there a rule that says no sad fics? I promise I'll work things out in my own way and in my own time.....Also, I'm very much aware that I need to update Gallan Return. I promise I will soon! I just got this idea in my head, and I decided to go for it. This won't be long, and I promise I'll update Gallan Return ASAP!!! R/R!!! ^_^ 


	3. Someday

A/N: I hope this fic is making a little more sense to you guys....for all of you who are so eager to find what happens, then just go to my bio find my favorite song and go download the video and you shall get a VERY good hint.......that's all I'll tell you though! R/R! ^_^  
  
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Numair awoke to the sound of rain pouring down onto Corus. Wind was blowing a nearby tree branch against the window, so that must have been what woke him. His back was extremely sore and his legs cramped. He never slept well when Daine banished him to the couch. If it wasn't the extreme guilt that robbed him of his sleep, then it was the fact that the couch was much too short for his six feet five inches, making him curl up uncomfortably and attempt sleep.  
  
Stretching, Numair opened his eyes, still glued shut from sleep. He hadn't slept nearly as long as he'd have liked, but there were more important things, just now, than sleeping. He had to make thing right with Daine. Perhaps, as he'd hoped, sleep had cooled her down enough so she'd speak to him now. Even if she wouldn't, she couldn't stop him from saying what he had to say. Then at least, she would hear him, even if she didn't say anything in response. If nothing else, that was what he wanted.  
  
Sitting up, Numair groaned in discomfort as his back popped. He took in his surroundings, almost feeling the comfort of home. He could never fully feel at home here when things weren't right between himself and his lover. turned his head in the direction of his bed chamber and saw that its door was open just a crack, meaning she must have gotten up before he did. He swung his legs over the side of the couch and rose to his feet. He took a quick look around their rooms and found that she was no where to be found. He hadn't checked the bed chamber there, so that was surely where she was.  
  
He strode over to the bed chamber and slowly opened the door up just a crack more, so he could poke his head inside. He had been right about her whereabouts, for here she lay, still asleep on their bed. He smiled to himself as he gazed upon her sleeping form. She lay sleeping on her own side of the bed in a white cotton night dress, a pillow clutched in her arms. He wished he were in her arms right now, instead of that dratted pillow. If Jon hadn't called him away, then perhaps he would be there right this very moment.  
  
Numair saw that sleeping next to her, lay a blue mass with gold tinges. He recognized this form to be that of Kit, the dragonet Daine was the guardian of. The dragonet must have sensed his presence, for she opened her eyes and sat her head up to look at him. She let out a quiet trill in surprise. "Hello, Kit," Numair whisper, his voice extremely quiet so as not to disturb his love. She looked too peaceful to wake.  
  
Sighing, Numair crossed the room and went over to their bed where she lay. He sat down on the edge, the side where he normally slept. Carefully, so as not to wake her just yet, he leaned back, letting the pillows break his fall rather than the bed. He eased himself under the covers and closer to his love. She did not stir at all, indicating she hadn't even noticed his presence. He almost regretted that she hadn't woken up. Then again, he knew if she had, she would have been upset with him and would have likely yelled at him.  
  
Running his finger's gently through her hair to rouse her, Numair spoke softly, "Daine, sweet," he began, lips barely parting as he spoke for his tone was so gentle. "I'm more sorry than I could ever begin to tell you. Please forgive me."  
  
As the words were emitted from his mouth, his love stirred, moving her body away from him. Suddenly, she seemed to jerk awake. Her head snapped up, and she let out a moan that was filled with such emotion that Numair couldn't place a finger on which emotion it was. Her eyes held a morbid, depressed look that could never be matched by anything of her Numair had ever see before. It shocked him at first glance. He knew that something was upsetting her terribly, and he knew that that something was him. His leaving had vexed her a lot more than he had thought and it made him feel like a monster for bringing this upon her.  
  
"Daine, please-" his voice was pleading, but his voice was cut off by her own, much to his surprise.  
  
"No!" her voice was frantic and filled with grief. He felt his heart sink when he heard her. He watched as she turned to look out the bed chamber window, her eyes filled with tears. It was as if she blamed the sun for rising and bringing the morning to greet her. She looked directly at him, her stormy blue eyes making contact with his. He could see that her face was tear stained now that the light reflected off of it properly. His lips curved into a frown, his guilt growing worse by the second.  
  
Without warning, Daine bolted up into a sitting position, her facial emotion never fading. She threw the covers off of her and they landed on top of Numair. He pushed them off and got up to go after her. He followed her into the living room, where he watched her flop herself down in an arm chair in front of the blazing fire. It was winter time in Tortall, and very cold outside. Every room in the palace had a blazing fire for warmth.  
  
He felt a light tug at his pant leg and saw that Kit had followed them into the living room. The dragonet's movements were frantic, as if she was trying to tell him something. She kept pointing back into the bed chamber, trilling loudly. Numair assumed this meant she wanted to go back to bed, but he still got the feeling that Kit was acting a bit odd, even for herself.  
  
"Stop that, Kit," Daine scolded the dragon, her voice filled with the remorse Numair had seen in her eyes. The dragon raced over to Daine, trilling wildly. She kept tugging on Daine's night shirt, pointing frantically at Numair. Daine ignored the dragon, and continued staring out the window.  
  
"Daine, we need to talk," he said, standing a fair distance from where she sat. She made no move to look at him; her words were enough.  
  
"Why did you leave me," she said, looking out the living room window and across the rain soaked palace grounds. Numair fought for the right words. He had no excuse really, no matter how much he tried to come up with one.  
  
"Daine, I didn't leave you for long," Numair's voice was pleading, his hands trembling at his sides. "Sweet, I'm here now, and that's what matters."  
  
"I loved you, and you left me!" her voice had gone from grief stricken to that of anger and rage. She slammed her fist violently against the arm of the chair she sat in. A single tear fell down her cheek, one that Numair longed to wipe away.   
  
Numair winced at hearing her hate filled words. She had said 'loved'.Did that mean her love for him was truly a thing of the past? All sorts of horrible thoughts were rushing through his mind right now. He'd spent two long years persuading her to marry him. Now, in just one short week, he may just have ruined their relationship. If that was the case then she would never marry him. The mere thought of that chilled him to the bone. He would not give up so easily.  
  
"I'm here now, sweet, and I won't leave again when you don't want me to. I promise,"Numair's voice was choked, for he was near tears. His previous thoughts were frightening him to the point where he felt he might just burst.  
  
"I can't take this anymore!" Daine screamed at the top of her lungs, tears pouring freely down her face. She sobbed, much harder than he had heard her sob last night. He watched as she bolted up out of the arm chair and across the room, back into their bed chamber. He raced after her, not far behind. His heart was pounding with the fear of losing her and never marrying her.   
  
  
  
She did not bother slamming the door behind her, so he easily entered their bed chamber. Once inside, he found her digging in their closet. He just stood silently in the doorway, not sure exactly what to do. He could still hear her sobbing, and he longed to comfort her, but he wasn't sure of what to do. He was so confused, and hurt deeply. He just wished all of this would stop and everything would be normal.  
  
His heart skipped a beat and his breath caught in his chest when he saw what she had been looking for in their closet. He watched in horror as she pulled her pack out of it and threw it onto their unmade bed. Without bothering to think, he closed the distance between them, his heart racing with the fear of losing her.   
  
"Daine-" he choked out, his voice trembling. His tone pleaded with her, begging her not to go through with this. "Daine, no! Please don't do this!"  
  
Daine ignored his frantic motions and his sudden closeness. Tears streamed down her face as she strode back to their closet and began gathering arm fulls of her shirts, breeches, and undergarments. Numair watched in silence, his heart racing as she went back to their closet for more. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her whole body trembling from grief and anguish.  
  
"Daine, please stop! We can work this out!" Numair pleaded, not knowing what else to do. It seemed begging her to stay was the only thing he could do, and that seemed to be failing. Faintly, for he wasn't paying close attention, he could hear Kitten's frantic trills. He was unsure of whom the dragon was trilling at, himself or Daine, but it didn't matter to him just now. What he wanted was for Daine to stop and unclench her fists, and unpack her suit case. He'd had too much of this in the past twenty-four hours."How in Mithros' name did we wind up like this?"  
  
***How the hell did we wind up like this?  
  
Why weren't we able  
  
To see the signs that we missed  
  
And try and turn the tables  
  
I wish you'd unclench your fists  
  
And unpack your suitcase  
  
Lately there's been too much of this  
  
But don't think it's too late***  
  
Numair watched as Daine dropped the clothing she held in her arms and threw herself onto their bed. She was crying harder than ever now, her sobs coming often. It broke Numair's heart into a fine powder to hear her go on like this. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, next to her. "There now, sweet, its all right. We can work this out together," His voice was soft and soothing, but it had no affect on her. If anything, she cried harder. Numair ran his hands nervously through his hair, wondering when her next sudden outburst would be, or if there would ever be another one. He knew one false move on his part, and she would be out of his life forever.  
  
Just as Numair was about to reach for his love and pull her into the circle of his arms she rose from the bed again, leaving the bed chamber in a few short strides. She didn't run out in heated movement as she had before. This time she was gentle, her nerves calmed. She was feeling every bit as horrible as before, but just wasn't showing it.  
  
Daine went back into the living room and again threw herself into the arm chair. She held her head in her hands, trying her best to wipe the tears that wouldn't stop flowing. In the whole of the ten years Numair had known her, he had never seen his Daine cry so much or so hard. He knew he had hurt he deeply and he wanted more than anything to make things right.  
  
Kit went and jumped into her guardian's lap, rubbing her head against Daine's chest. Numair watched in silence as Kit chirped and whistled at Daine in what he assumed to be kind words in dragon chatter. Often, the dragonet would reach out her paws and point towards him. Perhaps Kit was on his side, which was odd. More often than not, when he and Daine were fighting, Kit would give him the cold shoulder, even bite him. She always took the side of her guardian. This time however, she seemed genuinely worried.  
  
'I want things to be right again!' Numair thought to himself, frustrated that things weren't going even close to his way. It was hard to believe that one week could mess up ten years of work. If he had known this would be the result of carrying out Jon's orders, he would have gladly committed treason rather than bring this upon himself and his lover.  
  
His mind drifted off into a day dream. He was standing in the same place he stood now, in his and Daine's rooms at the palace. The weather outside was much nicer, the sun shining through the remains of the clouds. Numair was sure he could hear bells ringing in the distance. A loud uproar of cheering could be heard outside. Numair wanted to go to the window to go see what the commotion was about, why everyone was cheering and bells were ringing, but he couldn't move in this day dream. His feet were planted firmly to the floor.  
  
Numair blinked his eyes and felt time fast forward a few hours in the time of his day dream. This time it was night, the light of the moon shining into the room through the open window. Without warning, there was a scuffling of feet from outside, mixed with the sound of talking and laughing. There was a jiggling of the lock on the door to the room, and it was suddenly opened. Had Numair been able to move, he would have jumped back in shock at what he saw. He saw himself, dressed in a white silk shirt with black silk breeches, wearing his black mastery robe. He saw himself carrying Daine in his arms, both he and Daine had smiles on their faces, their eyes alight with joy.  
  
It was now that Numair knew where his day dream had taken him. He was at his wedding day. That would explain the finery he was dressed in, and the white silk wedding dress Daine wore. Both newlyweds entered the room laughing, completely enjoying themselves. Numair felt jealous of himself, the version of him in this day dream. He watched in envy as the Numair in his vision carried Daine across the room and into the bed chamber, the whole while neither stopped laughing. He heard the door slam shut, as the day dream Numair kicked it shut with his foot. It was here that the day dream stopped.  
  
Numair opened his eyes and reluctantly came back to reality. He looked over to the arm chair and saw that Daine still sat in it, looking intently out the window. She seemed to have calmed down and her anger ceased, but it had been replaced by something much worse. Now, she had only sadness and grief, more so than before, and to Numair, that was worse.   
  
He remembered before he had left on Jon's orders. He had been counting down the days until their wedding, the wedding that might not ever happen now. If in fact it was still on, then in exactly one week from this very day, they would be wed. "Someday,"he voiced in barely more than a whisper, his words meant only for his ears."Someday, that dream will come true."  
  
***Nothing's wrong, just as long   
  
As you know that someday I will...  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
I'm gonna make it all right, but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
You're the only one who knows that  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
I'm gonna make it all right, but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when***  
  
Stepping closer to his love, Numair went to get a closer look. Her sobs had quieted, her breathing more regular. He looked at her beautiful form and found that she had fallen asleep. Her tears had dried on her face. He reached out a hand and gently brushed away a stray curl that had fallen across her face. Numair knew that there was nothing more he could so right now. He should let her sleep. The previous night, he had heard her sobbing in her sleep into the late hours of the night, and thus knew that she could not have slept for more than a few hours. She needed and deserved her rest.  
  
Just as he was about to walk away, perhaps to go to the library, he heard a soft trill coming from behind him. Kit, who was still awake was calling to him. He silently lifted a finger up to his face and held it before his lips. "Shhh," he said to the dragonet. "Stay with Daine until I get back." His voice was in little more than a whisper, but the dragonet understood, for she had excellent hearing.  
  
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A/N: Okay everyone, next chapter is the last chapter! I won't post it though, until I get 30 reviews! I don't mind if you review more than once!(once logged in, once logged out) The chapter is already written,and the ending set, so I will update the very second I get 30 reviews! Just please review! ^_^ 


	4. And The Thunder Rolls

A/N: Well, here is chapter 4...This will be the last chapter, the chapter in which everything begins to make sense.....this is the chapter in which nothing is what it seems, not until the very end. You will see what I mean. Perhaps it even has a happy ending. I have no right to say if it does for it is all a matter of opinion. R/R!  
  
Disclaimer: I still don't own any TP characters or any Nickelback lyrics...I'm using the song called 'Someday' for this chapter as well....its like part two of the last chapter....  
  
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Numair was gone for no more than a few hours. He had spent this time in the royal library, reading various books. He didn't, however, remember a single work that he read, for his mind had been else where. Throughout the whole time he was out of his rooms and away from Daine, all he could think of was her and the fight they were having. He had almost wished that while out of his rooms, he would run into one of his good friends to seek advice with. Alanna or Onua especially would have been nice, for perhaps they could have talked to Daine. Numair had no such luck though, for the library had been completely empty.  
  
Now, Numair stood outside the door that led to his and Daine's rooms. He wondered what he would find when he entered. Would it be better than before, or would ti be worse? By the great gods he hoped she had cooled down. He'd never seen her this mad or upset before, and it hurt him every bit as much as it hurt her.  
  
"Mithros, Minos and Shakith, how I love her," he whispered to himself. He began to shiver a bit, so he pulled his black robe up closer around his shoulders. The halls of the palace were bitterly cold most of the time during the first week or so of winter, for the palace mages had not yet put heating spells in them. Perhaps Jon would call him to assist with that sometime soon.  
  
Numair reached out a shaky hand, and turned the brass door knob. He ducked his head before entering the room, for the door frame was low for him. Once inside, he found that Daine hadn't moved at all from the arm chair, either that, or she had gotten up for a while and then came back. She was sitting in the same position she had been upon him leaving.  
  
Numair slipped off his black mastery robe and hung it on the coat rack he had bought only two weeks before leaving and starting this whole mess. He stole a glance back at where Daine sat, only to find that she had shown no motion to indicate she even noticed his presence. Numair sighed, knowing he couldn't put any of this off any longer. The two of them had to talk.  
  
Kit stuck her head up over the arm of the chair to look at Numair. -At least someone notices me these days,- he thought bitterly. His eyes made contact with that of the dragonet's and Kit trilled loudly to announce his presence. Daine's head snapped up immediately, and she turned and looked directly at Numair. Her face held no emotion. Her eyes were red from crying, her cheeks covered in dried tears. It was a pitiful sight.  
  
Outside their window, rain poured down onto the palace grounds. Thunder boomed every now and then, causing Numair to jump each time. Following the booms of thunder always came a brilliant flashes of lightning that illuminated the sky. The wind was howling, and the tree branches blowing against the window.  
  
As he approached his love, Numair reached out a hand to stroke her cheek, but then withdrew it after thinking better of it. Sighing, he said, "Daine, we can't put this off any longer," his voice was serious, but yet extremely gentle. "We need to talk about what happened." There was a silence in the room. The only move Daine made that could possibly mean she had heard him was that she shifted in her seat slightly.   
  
***I hope that since we're here anyway  
  
We could end up saying  
  
Things we've always needed to say  
  
So we could end up staying  
  
Now the story's played out like this  
  
Just like a paperback novel  
  
Let's rewrite an ending that fits  
  
Instead of Hollywood horror***  
  
"Daine, please," his voice was pleading as it had been before he'd left that afternoon. Now, it was get into the night hours, and nothing had changed.  
  
Suddenly the young woman spoke up, her voice filled with the grief she obviously felt. "Life's a fickle thing, Kit," Daine spoke not to Numair, but to the dragonet in her lap. Numair knew that she was saying things to Kit that she really meant to say to him, and he thought of this as a slight improvement. "One day you think you have everything you've ever wanted, friends that care for you, someone who loves you, and people who will stay by your side no matter what," Her voice choked at this last statement, a single tear rolled down her face. "Then it all goes away, and its as if you never had it to begin with."  
  
"Oh, sweet," Numair said assuringly. He just had to make her feel better. It was killing him inside to see and hear her this way. "Please, I beg you to forgive me-"  
  
"I never thought this would happen to us,"Daine interrupted his plees for forgiveness.  
  
"I didn't either, Magelet," he replied to her statement, feeling heart broken already and wondering if this was the end.  
  
"Oh, Mithros how did we get like this?!" she said frantically, tears coming faster, her voice turning into a choked sob.  
  
"Daine, if I'd known, I would have prevented it. Please tell me you can understand that," Numair said, praying to every god he could name that what he was saying was getting through to her.  
  
Looking at the ceiling, eyes filled with untameable emotion, Daine said, "I really loved you, you know."  
  
"Do you still?" Numair asked, almost hesitantly. He was completely and totally afraid of what her answer might be.  
  
"I still do, but what is the use now?" Daine choked these words out in between sobs, tears flowing freely.  
  
"How can you say that? Of course there's a use, and that's because I love you now more than ever!" Numair's voice was frantic, hoping he could convince her. There was a long silence following his words. Numair did not speak, nor did Daine. It was an awkward silence in Numair's opinion. This had been the most he had gotten her to say to him since his arrival, and he was grateful.   
  
Kit sat in Daine's lap, not making a sound. This was rare for the dragonet, who normally had a comment in dragon chatter for just about everything that went on between Daine and Numair. She merely sat looking from Daine to Numair, eyes intrigued. She too seemed to be at a loss for words or action.  
  
***Nothing's wrong, just as long   
  
As you know that someday I will...  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
I'm gonna make it all right, but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
You're the only one who knows that  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
I'm gonna make it all right, but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when***  
  
Numair didn't know what to say to her. He'd hoped she would have responded by now to his last statement, but she hadn't uttered a sound. Things weren't looking good for him just now, that much was obvious. Numair refused to give up hope however. If you truly loved someone, you would never truly give up hope. He loved Daine, and he would not give up on her. She had said she still loved him, and perhaps she meant it, for Daine was not one to say nonsense that she did not mean. Most everything she said in times like these had a purpose, and Numair wouldn't forget that.  
  
He closed his tear filled eyes, and let his mind take him back to another time, another place. He went back several months, to a day that would forever be implanted in his mind. It was a day that would change his life forever.  
  
In his memory, he lay tangled in the sheets of his bed, breathing heavily. Daine lay next to him, a smile written on her face. He turned to her and his face spread into a smile to match hers. Reaching out his arms, he pulled her to his chest. She moved into the circle of his arms willingly. He leaned in closer and kissed the side of her neck which was currently up against his shoulder. He felt the fiery passion run through him as he felt her bare back rub against his side.  
  
To his surprise, she turned around and eased her lips over his. He smiled into their kiss, enjoying every second. Their kiss went on for quite a while, but for the two lovers it was over much too fast. Numair groaned in disappointment when she removed her lips from his for lack of air. She still had her arms wrapped firmly around his neck, his around her waste. Before either had had much time to regain their breath, he had once again captured her lips in his own, and this time not so easy to let go.  
  
When Numair finally did pull away, it was for a much better reason in his opinion, than lack of air. "Daine, will you marry me?" he'd asked this several times before, and every time it had been the same answer. Maybe. That was what she had told him every time so far. Tonight, things felt different, though he had no idea why. He felt that tonight, she would not refuse him, but would accept.  
  
She hesitated for a moment, but Numair's hopes did not fade in the slightest bit. What she said, made his insides jump with new found joy. "Yes," It was one simple word, a word Numair had heard uttered from her lips many times before. This time it was very different however. This time it was to a life changing question. This was a word he had been trying to achieve from her for the entirety of two full years.  
  
"Oh gods, I love you!" was his immediate response. Before she could say anything else, his lips were on hers in a passionate kiss.  
  
Thunder boomed from the storm outside, causing Numair to snap back to reality. He hadn't known it while he was day dreaming, but a tear had formed in his eye and it was now rolling slowly, but steadily down his face. He reached up to wipe it off, only to find that more were coming down after it. Soon he was crying uncontrollably. All of this, everything that had happened since his return, it had all been too much. He could take no more of it.  
  
Lighting flashed soon after another boom of thunder. It lit up the room, making the tears on Daine's face much more visible. It made her eyes light up. It highlighted her grief stricken features. Numair longed to pull his eyes away from her, but he couldn't. He couldn't move a single part of his body. He knew what he had to do, though he did not by any means want to do it. He had to ask her an important question. It was a question that could either make him or break him. Once it was asked, there was no turning back.  
  
"Daine?" his voice shook as he felt a horrible fear. She wasn't looking at him, but some how, he knew she was listening. There was a thoughtful look in her eyes that shined with tears. Thunder boomed again, and lightning flashed. Again it lit up this whole scene for Numair to see it its entirety, and again it made him know he had to ask his question. "Do you still want to marry me?"  
  
There was a brief silence. All that could be heard were the licks of the flames in the fire place and the rain pouring outside. The wind still howled, blowing the tree branches against the window. There was another boom of thunder and another flash of lightning that followed before she acted. She didn't speak a single word, for her actions made everything quite clear. What happened next happened so fast that Numair barely had time to react.  
  
Daine bolted up, the tears that were flowing moved faster than before. She let out a loud sob, the worst that she had so far. "No!"she screamed as she sobbed, tears flowing and eyes shining. "I can't take this anymore!"   
  
Just as Numair felt his heart crumbling apart piece by piece, everything began happening so fast. She had jumped up out of the arm chair, Kit falling out of her lap and to the floor. She bolted towards the window, stopping when she reached it. Fearing what she was going to do, Numair dashed across the room and to her side in a few short strides. By then, she had thrust the window open. The wind began blowing in, along with the pouring rain. The noise of the storm was magnified by about ten times now.  
  
Within an instant after opening the window, Daine had shifted into a golden eagle, what Numair knew to be one of her favorite forms. It was then that Numair realized her intent. "Daine, no!" he shouted, knowing that if she flew out the window and into the storm now, she would never come back alive. In a storm like this, she would surely be struck down by a deadly bolt of lighting, and fall a great distance to the ground. Even from this level of the palace, it was a two story drop.  
  
Numair made a frantic attempt to grab her before she was able to fly out, but his attempts were in vain. He watched as she soared out the window and into the eye of the storm. He knew that there would surely be a night patrol outside, so he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Help, help! Stop her, she'll be killed!"  
  
Just as he yelled this, he didn't take time to think before acting. He couldn't afford to think. Blinded by love, he shifted quickly into the form of a great black hawk. Flying in a small circle around the room, he soared out the open window, knowing full well that he may never come back. He didn't care, for he loved her and he had to get her back at all costs.  
  
He had barely been out in the storm fo more than a second when it happened. There was a loud boom of thunder followed by a terrible flash of lightning. The entire palace grounds were lit up as the bolt flew from the clouds to hit the ground. It never made it as far as the ground, however. Instead of hitting the ground, it hit his beloved.   
  
It was as if time stopped. The bolt made contact with the golden eagle in the blink of an eye. A terrible screach of an eagle's cry filled the air, going over the sound of the storm. Numair watched in horror as his love turned back into a human, a naked one at that, and fell to the ground, landing with a sickening thud. He flew down after her, going as fast as his wings would carry him. Once on the ground, he landed a fair distance away from her. He immediatly turned back into his human form, but instead of being without clothing, he shifed back with clothes on. It was a trick he had learned a short time ago.  
  
Numair bolted across the space that seperated them, desperate to reach his love. The guards on night patrol had seen the whole inccident and were running to her as well. They reached her before Numair did, and huddled down on the gound beside her. Numair could no longer see the form of his love lying on the muddy ground, for the soldiers' bodies were covering her from his view. He longed to run over to her, to push the guards out of the way and to see if she was all right, but his legs would not move. He was glued in place, and there seemed to be nothing he could do about it.  
  
He was breathing hard, fighting to draw in air. He felt his heart pumping rapidly within his chest, to the point that he was sure it would soon burst from the pressure. Another boom of thunder cut through the air, followed by lightning and again the whole scene was illuminated. Rain poured down onto Numair, soaking him, but he didn't notice. His mind was not in the weather, or anything of that sort. All he could think of was the young woman who lay across the field from him, perhaps dying. He couldn't imagine life without her.   
  
Numair felt hot tears course down his face. He was so incredible lost just now. He felt like his world was coming to an end, that it was crashing down fast. He ran a hand nervously through his mass of hair, trying his best to hold back the tears. His attempts were in vain, for they just kept flowing uncontrollably. He looked over at the silhouette of guards that were huddled around his love. His breath caught in horror at what he saw. One of the guards was pulling off his tunic and laying over Daine, covering her completely. That could mean only one thing. Veralidaine Sarrasri, his love and fiancee, was dead.  
  
He felt his world begin to spin at a sickening rate. He thought he might drop to his knees in a dead faint. Just as this though this, his knees did in fact buckle beneath them, for he was too weak from sudden grief to properly hold himself up.  
  
***How the hell did we wind up like this?  
  
Why weren't we able  
  
To see the signs that we missed  
  
And try and turn the tables  
  
Now the story's played out like this  
  
Just like a paperback novel  
  
Let's rewrite an ending that fits  
  
Instead of a Hollywood horror***  
  
"Oh, gods this is all my fault!"he wailed, grief and sorrow clouding his mind. He couldn't bring himself to go and look at her, he just couldn't. He didn't want to remember her as the mangled body he knew lay just a few yards away from him. He wanted to remember her as the loving young woman with those enchanting blue gray eyes and smoky brown curls. He wanted to block this night, and this fight from his memory forever. This would never happen though, he knew. This night would probably be the most memorable night of his life, for it was the night his one true love died and left him. "Why in the name of the Graveyard Hag did I leave her!"  
  
His heart stopped beating for a moment when he felt an icy cold hand upon his shoulder. His head jerked up and his dark eyes met a pair of enchanting blue gray ones. He jumped backward in his shock. "Daine?!" he breathed, not daring to believe what he saw. -My eyes must be decieving me- he thought quickly, but hoping he was wrong.  
  
"Oh gods!" she voiced in barely more than a whisper. In an instant she had darted towards him, knocking him to the ground. Much to his surprise, her arms flew around his neck as she burried her face in his chest.  
  
"Wh-what-how?" Numair struggled for words. He couldn't understand how this was possible. All he knew, was that it was very real. "Daine, you're dead!"  
  
Her eyes grew wide, and then her features became thoughtful. She paused for a moment, as though thinking hard about something. "You-you mean you don't know?" she asked, as though thoroughly amazed. Numair was so confused by all of this. Nothing seemed to make sense about this, nothing at all.  
  
"Don't know what?" he asked anxiously. He was longing for someone to tell him something that might just reveal this whole thing to him. Right now, just asbout everything was over his head.  
  
"Numair, you died!" Numair gasped from the immediate shock of her words. It took a moment for them to fully sink in, and when they did, he felt a deep panic.  
  
"I-I didn't! I can't have!" he said quickly, voice urgent. "You yourself spoke to me just this very night!"  
  
"How could I have? You died almost a week ago!" she said, voice filled with shock that he was unaware of his own death.  
  
"No I didn't! I returned back to the palace just last night! You locked me out of our bed chamber, and refused to speak to me until this morning! Then you tried to pack your things and leave, but I stopped you! Daine, none of what you're saying makes sense!"  
  
Daine paused for a moment, thinking hard. "Yes, it does." she said finally, a sudden look of realization dawned upon her face. "Numair, I don't know how this happened, but some how, you died and weren't aware of it."  
  
It was then that it hit Numair. The dreams, the bandits, being left behind by Raoul and the Own, it was all real. All of those things truly did happen. The only thing that hadn't been real were his arguments with Daine. She hadn't been mad at him at all! She had been grief stricken because of his death! Numair couldn't believe this. It didn't seem possible. He had died, but hadn't known it! This was unheard of, but yet oh so real.  
  
"By the gods, you're right," Was all he could find to say. At the moment, he was completely overwhelmed by sudden realization. "We're dead."  
  
When he said this, Daine reached into her shirt pocket, and produced a crumbled, tear stained note. It was the same note he had seen her cry over in his vision. He carefully uncrumbled in and scanned it with his eyes. Some of the words were smeared and blotted out as a result of her tears, but from what he could make of it, it was a note to Daine annoucing his death. "This is....amazing...."he said after reading it.  
  
There was a brief pause in which neither said nothing. Both still lay on the ground, Daine on top of him just as she had landed. Suddenly, Numair jerked her into a hug. Once again, tears started flowing uncontrollably. Her face was pressed against his, and he felt that she was crying as well. He crushed her body into his, holding her tighter than he'd ever held her before. "So...You still love me, then?" he questioned, voice shaky.  
  
"More than ever," she said, her heart in every word.  
  
"You don't know how much I thought you were leaving me all this time," he said, revealing to her all of his fears. With that said, he told her everything that had happened from his point of view. Several times, she would gasp from realization and understanding.  
  
When he was finally finished, she said. "That's fair amazing."  
  
"Don't I know it," was his reply. He looked down into her tear stained face, which so close to his just now. He saw happiness there, an emotion he hadn't seen in her eyes since before he left. He couldn't hold back his emotions any longer. He roughly leaned down and captured her lips in his own, kissing her with hunger and desperation. He let everything that had built up inside him since the moment he left leak out of him through that kiss. To his joy and pleasure, she kissed him back with a passion to match his own. Their breaths mingled warmly together, making them both feel so at home.  
  
Numair reached a hand up behind her neck to support her head and bring it closer to his. He let his fingers run through her mass of smoky brown curls as he took in her wonderful scent. He felt a tingling pleasure as he realized every place their bodies touched. He gasped from passion and pleasure both as he felt her icy cold hands go up the back of his shirt to massage his muscled back. She rested her fingers against his shoulder blades, and his hands rested one on the back of her head and the other against her hip. He mirrored her actions and slid his spare hand up her shirt and let it roam her bare back. He felt so oblivious to the world just now. It was an unbelievable feeling he felt, such as he had never felt before.  
  
For a brief moment, Numair removed his lips from hers and closed his eyes. He let the passion comsume him, but before he did so, he let himself say one last thing. "Veralidaine Sarrasri, you have no idea how much I love you."  
  
"Gods, I love you too," her voice was barely more than a whisper, but he heard and savored every word. With that, she brought her lips back up to meet his, their kiss lingering. It went on longer, and became more passionate than the first. Just as the passion began to swamp the two lovers, reaching unbearable levels, someone cleared their throat nearby.  
  
This was a surprise to both Daine and Numair, for since they were both dead, they had assumed no one could see them. This would be a rather embarrassing position for one of their friends at the palace to discover them in. They both jerked their mouths away from the other, and turned to look up at the intrudor. They were met by blinding sunlight, a much different scene than what they had seen before closing their eyes and jumping into passion.  
  
"If these touching reunions are done and over?" the voice belonged to none other than the god of the hunt who stood over the two lovers. Next to him stood his lover, the Green Lady. Both Daine and Numair gasped. Looking around at their surroundings, they found that they were indeed no longer in Tortall, or even the Mortal Realms for that matter. They were in a familiar place though, that of the Divine Realms outside the cottage og Weiryn and Sarra.  
  
"Ma!" Daine exclaimed as she disentangled herself from Numair and rose to embrace her mother. Dazed, Numair mirrored his love's actions and rose to his feet, stretching out his lanky form.  
  
"Mage, this is where you and my daughter will be living from now on," Weiryn said, though his voice held its usual roughness as it always did when he spoke to Numair.  
  
"The after life?" Numair questioned the god of the hunt.  
  
"Yes," Weiryn said as he went to again stand next to Sarra. By this time Daine bad broken away from her mother and she moved back next to Numair. Numair reached down and took her hand in his, a smile stretched across his face. "Why don't you two go and see the cottage Mithros had prepared for your arrival?" Weiryn said as he pointed to a house off in the distance. Daine and Numair didn't need telling twice. The ran off into the distance towards their new home, hand in hand. When they reached the door, Numair lifted Daine into his arms and carried her through. They were both overwhelmed with joy. This was the begining of their new life, of an eternity together.  
  
***Nothing's wrong, just as long   
  
As you know that someday I will...  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
I'm gonna make it alright, but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
You're the only one who knows that  
  
Someday, somehow  
  
I'm gonna make it alright, but not right now  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
You're the only one who knows that  
  
I know you're wondering when  
  
You're the only one who knows that  
  
I know you're wondering when***  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
THE END  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
  
A/N: Well? Didn't I tell you it'd end happy? And wasn't I right? Please review me and tell me what you think! I'll be sure to hurry and get an update ready for Gallan Return too, while I'm at it.....This fic was fun, but I like Gallan Return much better! 


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